The gala awards ceremony of 19th PRAN National Pickle Competition-2018 was held on Friday (Feb 15) at Bangabandhu International Conference Center.
Pickle of Nowrin Ahsan of Dhaka was judged as the 'Pickle of the year'. She received Tk 2 lakh as prize money. Besides, a total of 12 women in four categories - sweet, sour, hot and mixed - won the awards while another 35 were given complimentary awards.
Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni handed over the awards as chief guest while Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, CEO and Chairman of PRAN-RFL Group, Uzma Chowdhury, Director (Corporate Finance), Eleash Mridah, Managing Director of PRAN Group and Israrul Haque, Executive Director of Channel-i, among others, were present at the function.
Addressing the program, Dr Dipu Moni said, “Pickle is a part of our tradition. The women of the country have been making pickle for long time. But they never consider it as a commercial item. This pickle competition is working as a platform for the women to move forward.”
Ahsan Khan Chowdhury said, “PRAN is running its activities with the country’s general people especially women and farmers. PRAN is entering to world market after processing the farmer’s crops and becoming popular to the world as PRAN (heart) of Bangladesh. PRAN group is working relentlessly regarding women empowerment. We have been organizing the event for last 19 years to show the respect to the activities of country’s women folk.”
A total of 3,796 participants across the country took part at the competition with 7,892 pickles prepared by them. Nowrin Ahsan of Dhaka, Nuri Musaiyada of Chattogram, Shabana of Dhaka won first, second and third prizes respectively in sour category while Sayeda Asma of Jashore, Rafeza Rashid of Dhaka and Salma Malek of Tangail got first, second and third prizes respectively in sweet category. Abida Sultana of Barishal, Sharmin Jaman of Dhaka and Morjina Khanom of Khulna won first, second and third prizes in hot category while Farzana Afrin, Laila Yesmin of Dhaka and Aporupa of Khulana won first, second and third prizes respectively in mixed category.
Winners of 1st places were awarded with Tk 50,000 each, winners of 2nd places with a washing machine each and winners of 3rd places with a microwave oven each. A ten-member panel judged the winners of the competition.
The award giving ceremony was followed by a colorful cultural function where popular singer Salma and artists of Shurer Dhara participated. In addition, a day-long ‘Achar Utsab’ was held at the program premises.
